2008:488 - Rush; Rush Demesne, Dublin

An assessment was carried out of the proposed LAP lands for Rush town, north Co. Dublin. The test-trenches excavated were positioned on the basis of the targeted geophysical survey of the proposed lands to investigate anomalies identified during that survey which may be of archaeological merit.
The test excavation was carried out on 3–6 November 2008. A total of fourteen test-trenches were excavated using a 13-tonne track machine fitted with a toothless bucket. Area 3 in Field 3, Areas 8 and 10 in Field 15 and Trenches 6 and 7 in Area 4, Field 4, could not be accessed as they were under crop; a number of trenches (T4, T5, T13 and T14) had to be repositioned in order to avoid destroying crops underfoot.
The geology of the natural subsoil proved to be comparatively similar throughout, composed of orange/brown sandy clay with occasional inclusions of shale and calp limestone. No features or deposits of archaeological significance have been identified in any of the fourteen test-trenches excavated. The features identified within the trenches consist of a multitude of plough furrows, numerous stone-lined land drains, field boundaries and drainage ditches that correspond to agricultural activity (in the immediate area) and to subsurface drainage systems. Visible standing water within the proposed area attests to the somewhat poor drainage quality of the underlying subsoil, which is, in all probability, the reason for the insertion of the multitude of stone-lined land drains.